Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2013 - Page 34

The Power of Three
Tapiola, Otaniemi and Keilaniemi are promising
to take innovation to new heights
Combining business savvy with design and science excellence sounds
like a winning formula – and this is why the “Power Triangle” of three
East Espoo neighbourhoods has been such a hot topic of late. Tapiola,
Otaniemi and Keilaniemi have shot to international prominence all on
their own, but put together they provide a truly unique combination.
T
he triangle is already the most international science and innovation area and the largest technology area in
Northern Europe – and where else could
you find 5,000 researchers, 110 nationalities and 8,000 jobs in ICT industry within a
15-minute walk?
The success of Otaniemi, Tapiola and
Keilaniemi improves the entire country’s
chances in the competition for knowledgeintensive businesses and jobs. Recognising
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the inherent opportunities here, the City of
Espoo has composed a T3 strategy which
seeks to make the most of this perfect marriage.
The City is also willing to invest heavily on the triangle: the renewal of Tapiola,
Otaniemi and Keilaniemi will be the largest single construction project in the history of Espoo. In the coming years, massive
investments to the tune of 4–5 billion euros
will pour into the area.
Tapiola Hits 60
Historically, the best-known of the Big
Three is Tapiola, the legendary “Garden
City” which celebrates its 60th birthday
this year. Acknowledged as an iconic blueprint for urban living in a natural setting the
world over, the area features, as its core, a
commercial centre that pioneered the field
in Finland. The community is internationally known as a groundbreaking effort in
city planning and construction; architecturally speaking, the area is held in very high
esteem, receiving lavish praise also for its
versatility.
In recent years, however, it has become
clear that The Garden City is in need of a
serious beauty treatment. In fact, the entire
Tapiola Centre will go over a complete trans-